On November 5, 1852, a dozen eminent Civil Engineers gathered at the Croton Aqueduct in New York City in the office of Chief Engineer Alfred W. Craven to establish the American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects. In 1868, after a group of architects had formed their own professional society, ASCE adopted its current name. For the first 144 years of its existence, ASCE maintained its headquarters in New York City, relocating six times to progressively larger facilities. In 1996, ASCE moved to its current global headquarters in Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

On February 5, 1915, San Diego residents who were members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) met at the University Club and proposed the formation of a local ASCE section. The ASCE San Diego Section constitution was adopted by the national organization on March 5, 1915 while Edwin M. Capps, a Civil Engineer, was serving his second term as mayor of the City of San Diego. George Butler served as the first president of the ASCE San Diego Section, and although Mayor Capps never served as the Section President, he played an important role in the founding of the section.

The American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 members of the civil engineering profession in 177 countries. The Society advances civil engineering technical specialties through nine dynamic Institutes and leads with its many professional and public focused programs.